It’s all over the media: our attention spans are shrinking! We—and our students—don’t have the capacity to pay attention to anything that lasts longer than 47 seconds, according to a 2023 study by Dr. Gloria Mark.  

None of us like to spend time on difficult, exhausting tasks (income taxes, anyone?). The same is true for struggling readers faced with the challenge of 1) choosing what to read; 2) actually sitting and reading. 

However, students need the ability to focus for extended periods of time on complex tasks; reading a series of questions on a test, a lengthy passage in a textbook, or a novel all require reading stamina. There are also benefits to reading for extended periods that go beyond academics: reading builds empathy, problem-solving skills, and knowledge about the world around us.  

What can educators do to increase students’ reading stamina? Here are some tips: 

Model the behavior you want to see in your students: Spend some time with a reading passage demonstrating what you do when you read. Start out by previewing the text—looking at the title and any images. Then read a few paragraphs out loud and stop to comment on the text: “I wonder what this character will do next?” 

Break up the task into smaller parts: If you’re reading a novel as a class, have students read some sections with a partner and read some sections aloud to the whole group.   

Offer students ample opportunities to read short, high-interest passages at their level: Students are more able to focus when the length of the passage isn’t intimidating and the topic holds their attention. 

Make independent reading time less stressful: One Minute Reader Live, part of the Read Live suite of programs, is a great way to support struggling readers during independent reading time. Students can choose a topic that interests them and receive the scaffolding provided by an audio recording of a fluent reader. 

Read Naturally programs are ideal for developing students' reading stamina. We offer high-interest, nonfiction passages at all levels, from emerging readers on up. The passages gradually increase in length from one level to the next. These passages work with the motivating Read Naturally Strategy to keep students engaged. For students reading significantly below grade level, consistent one-minute practices help increase stamina as they advance to more difficult levels. For students closer to grade level—especially students in levels 4.0 and above—consider switching them from one-minute timings to whole-story timings. This builds stamina for longer passage reading. 

Students who advance through Read Naturally programs are increasingly able to read for extended periods of time. They develop the stamina needed to succeed academically and perform well on high-stakes tests. More importantly, they learn to love reading enough to get lost in it for hours.